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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. roll — a list
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fine — all right
  9. roll — a cake
  10. content — happy
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — hasty
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitch — completely

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