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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. charge — in control
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — a price
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a great time
  15. court — for sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — of a king
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of law
  24. bass — low music

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