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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. board — a committee
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. roll — a cake
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. face — to confront
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — to get on
  13. face — part of the head
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ground — the earth
  19. roll — a list
  20. vault — a safe
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ground — a position
  24. roll — on a roll

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