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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — an aim
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ground — a position
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — to protest
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. object — a thing
  24. stand — on your feet

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