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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — government
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a dance
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — a law
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fine — high quality

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