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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bass — the fish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bass — low music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fork — in a road
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — for a hammer

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