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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — a line
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. vault — a safe
  16. court — of law
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — to paddle
  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