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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. ball — a dance
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a ring
  11. rock — a stone
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a music group
  14. bank — of a river
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rock — music
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — for money
  20. staff — employees
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — for money

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