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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to click
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — the amount
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stand — for spectators

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