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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. court — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. swing — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — in golf
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — help
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — to play on

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