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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — ground
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cell — in biology

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