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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. charge — electricity
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — of a word
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. scale — size or range
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. charge — a price
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. club — for golf
  20. scale — in music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — the cause

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