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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. cold — an illness
  13. game — a match
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ball — a great time

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