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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. pit — in a race
  8. court — of law
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. drill — the tool

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