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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — government
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — a position
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — crushed

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