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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a dance
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — a group
  19. march — the month
  20. club — for golf
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. vault — a safe

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