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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a match
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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