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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hand — help
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ball — a dance
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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