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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bulb — for light
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. season — in sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ball — a great time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. coach — a trainer

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