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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — a gift
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rule — government
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — a safe
  14. present — there
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — the time now
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. scale — size or range
  23. board — to get on
  24. mark — a trace

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