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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — magic
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ground — a position
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cell — in biology
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a flat piece

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