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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — a box
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — a stone
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a path
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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