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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — army training
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — in cards
  9. scale — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chest — a box
  20. scale — size or range
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — a professorship

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