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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. file — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a document
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — a country

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