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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — high quality
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a song

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