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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of a king
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — high quality
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. court — of law
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. court — for sport

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