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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. roll — a list
  10. last — final
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. scale — in music

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