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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. charge — a price
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. track — a path
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. staff — a stick
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. track — to keep track
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — a safe
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — in control
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mark — a grade

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