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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. game — wild animals
  3. spell — letters
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. march — music
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. march — the month
  18. kid — child
  19. march — the month
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — to eat

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