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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 120 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cold — not warm
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. firm — decided
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cold — an illness
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. firm — a company
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — a match
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fine — all right

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