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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — completely
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. band — a music group
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. deal — to handle

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