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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mark — a trace
  5. track — a song
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — a path
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — a phone
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cell — in biology
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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