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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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 — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a line
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. land — ground
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — certain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  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