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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a skill

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