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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bass — low music
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mate — a friend

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