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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: perch · game · cabinet · vault · roll · date · chest · staff

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. roll — a list
  3. vault — a safe
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a match
  6. staff — a stick
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chest — a box
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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