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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rock — music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. firm — a company
  10. vault — a safe
  11. firm — decided
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. firm — steady
  23. season — of the year
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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