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

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. vault — a safe
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mark — a trace
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — the earth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ground — crushed

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