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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — for pool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — a series

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