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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of a king
  7. vault — a safe
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — the underground
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. court — of law
  12. march — the month
  13. row — a line
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — to drill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. march — music
  24. file — a document

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