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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ball — a dance
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — all right
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — a box
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mate — a friend
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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