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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. land — ground
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — the animal

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