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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. game — wild animals
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  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