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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. net — after costs
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — a law
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a great time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — for catching
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. object — an aim
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. vault — a safe
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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