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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. swing — to play on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — in golf
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. swing — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pitch — completely
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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