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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. sharp — clever
  3. last — to go on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — finally
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. last — final
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. march — the month
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. march — music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. ball — a great time
  24. march — the month

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