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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — army training
  10. club — for golf
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chair — to sit on

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