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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — completely
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. cap — a lid
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — of water
  16. cap — a hat
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cap — of ice
  24. firm — decided

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