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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ground — crushed
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rule — government
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — a position
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rule — a law

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