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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. craft — boats
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. scale — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. snap — to click
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — to bear
  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