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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — in music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. court — of law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fine — high quality
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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