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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — a cake
  6. present — a gift
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — a committee
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — the time now
  21. roll — a list
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. march — music

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