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

Word bank: vault · pop · cabinet · pit · mate · rule · ball · cell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rule — a law
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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