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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. squash — the sport
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. file — a document
  21. court — of a king
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a tool

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