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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. drill — army training
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — a company
  8. court — of a king
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — a short time
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. court — of law
  17. drill — the tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — steady
  23. staff — a stick
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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