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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — clever
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. season — in sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — in control
  10. pop — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — of the year
  24. sharp — exactly

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