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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bat — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. vault — a safe
  21. club — for golf
  22. toast — bread
  23. club — for dancing
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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