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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. swing — in golf
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — a box
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — of your body
  18. field — farmland
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — to play on
  22. game — a match
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — a practice

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