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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — a thing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cell — a phone
  7. object — an aim
  8. cell — in biology
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. object — to protest
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. file — a document
  20. pitch — completely
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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