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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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chip — to eat
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spring — of water
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a hole
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — for catching
  14. firm — decided
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. file — a tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a document
  24. spring — a coil

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