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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — a phone
  8. drill — army training
  9. game — a match
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a great time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. drill — a practice
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cell — in biology
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. ball — a dance

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