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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — for sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. toast — bread
  12. shower — to wash
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. court — of a king
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — of law
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. hand — help
  24. row — a line

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