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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — for catching
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. net — after costs
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. face — to point toward
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — to tease
  16. club — a group
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — in sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — for golf
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — child
  24. vault — a safe

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