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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — for sport
  5. toast — bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. swing — in golf
  13. field — a subject
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a dance
  22. swing — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. toast — the most admired

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