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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. date — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ground — crushed
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — to trim

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