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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. vault — a safe
  10. roll — a list
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. track — to keep track
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ball — a dance

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