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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — a thing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. court — of law
  16. dip — to sink
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mine — belonging to me

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