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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a match
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chest — a box
  24. drill — army training

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