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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rock — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spell — letters

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