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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — of a king
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. court — of law
  12. row — a line
  13. perch — the fish
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. firm — steady
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — for betting
  24. row — to paddle

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