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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 116 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bass — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. dip — a sauce

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