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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. land — a country
  3. track — a song
  4. land — ground
  5. track — to keep track
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — a container
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — all right

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