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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. game — wild animals
  8. capital — money
  9. board — a committee
  10. scale — size or range
  11. capital — a city
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. board — to get on
  22. game — a match
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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