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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — a division
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. court — of a king
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — for sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wound — an injury
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — there

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