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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. march — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rule — government
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — a law
  19. drill — a practice
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — in music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. vault — a safe

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