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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — in a race
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — for catching
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. net — after costs
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. ground — a position
  24. deal — a big deal

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