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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. vault — a safe
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. drill — army training
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a document
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. drill — a practice
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bat — the animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body

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