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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — of law
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — of a king
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — for sport

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