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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. march — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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