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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rule — government
  11. ground — crushed
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ground — the earth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ground — a position

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