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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a ring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. roll — a cake
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — the time now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — a safe
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. roll — a list
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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