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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chair — a leader
  4. swing — in golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — a measure
  10. board — to get on
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. board — a committee

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