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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — ground
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — a phone
  24. land — a country

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