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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chip — to eat
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — government
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. field — a subject
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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