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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — a safe
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — crushed
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. object — to protest
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ground — the earth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a list
  14. perch — the fish
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. fine — all right
  24. foot — a measure

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