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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. deal — to handle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — wild animals
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. land — ground
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — to come down
  21. ground — the earth
  22. kid — child
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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