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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — a partner
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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