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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rock — music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — in sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. roll — a list
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — a contest
  17. net — after costs
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. net — for catching
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rock — a stone
  22. race — humankind
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — the arms race

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