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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. field — a subject
  7. rule — government
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — a law
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fall — the season
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the sport

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