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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 120 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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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