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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — steady
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. firm — decided
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. roll — a cake
  19. game — wild animals
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. firm — a company
  24. ball — a great time

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