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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. march — music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. key — in music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — wild animals
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — a safe
  16. charge — electricity
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — for a lock
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — the month
  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