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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a trace
  8. court — for sport
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — clever
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — a path
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — to keep track
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rule — government
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mark — a grade
  23. drill — the tool
  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