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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — to get on
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. content — happy
  15. drill — army training
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — high quality
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a committee
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. fine — a penalty

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