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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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Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — a safe
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — from a university
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — in control
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bay — a horse colour

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