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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. game — a match
  12. cell — in biology
  13. content — the amount
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. vault — a safe

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