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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. land — a country
  12. clip — for paper
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — to cut
  15. land — ground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — to get on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — a video
  21. field — a subject
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a committee
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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