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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a dance
  15. land — a country
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — ground
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  24. cell — a phone

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