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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — a trail
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — all right
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a match
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — of water
  24. game — wild animals

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