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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · swing · temple · spring · land · squash · vault · fine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — of water
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — the sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — all right
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a match
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. swing — in golf
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. swing — to play on
  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