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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — decided
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. scale — in music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — for digging
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — a coil
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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