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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pit — a hole
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. sharp — clever
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — a cake
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. swing — music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. roll — a list
  24. pit — in a race

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