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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. land — a country
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. vault — a safe
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — finally
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — the animal

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