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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. perch — the fish

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