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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — help
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — to visit
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. swing — in golf
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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