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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a document
  18. kid — child
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a tool
  24. swing — to play on

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