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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 the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — a gift
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. land — to come down
  11. craft — boats
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — a country
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — the time now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — for betting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. present — there
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. scale — size or range

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