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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. march — music
  24. chip — to eat

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