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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — to keep track
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — a committee
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. track — a path

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