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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. vault — a safe
  3. season — of the year
  4. ball — a dance
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. present — a gift
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — there
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — a path
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — in sport
  23. bat — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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