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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — a face
  14. present — there
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — a cup
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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