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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — to tease
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. kid — child
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fork — a garden tool

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