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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — clever
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. file — a tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — the earth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rock — music

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