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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. charge — in control
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — a cake
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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