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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bass — low music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — the fish
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — a law

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