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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a dance
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — in a road
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. roll — a list

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