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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pitch — completely
  4. court — for sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of a king
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — government
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chest — a box
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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