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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. track — a song
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — to eat
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wound — an injury
  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