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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — a company
  3. roll — a cake
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — to protest
  6. drill — army training
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. club — a group
  10. object — a thing
  11. firm — steady
  12. club — for golf
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. firm — decided
  15. drill — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. last — final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — an aim
  24. vault — a safe

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