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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. present — a gift
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — a hole
  11. present — there
  12. swing — in golf
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. swing — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — to play on
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. present — the time now
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — to come down
  22. chest — a box
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chest — of your body

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