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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rash — hasty
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. scale — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. swing — to play on
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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