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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — finally
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — a trace
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mark — a grade

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