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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fine — high quality
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com