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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — electricity
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — to keep track
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a song
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — in control
  24. game — wild animals

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