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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitch — completely
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ruler — a monarch

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