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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. swing — in golf
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — to bear
  6. swing — to play on
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — in music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. swing — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — size or range

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