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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. firm — steady
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. roll — a cake
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — a company
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. roll — a list
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — decided

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