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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. band — a music group
  3. bat — the animal
  4. row — a line
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ground — a position
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. vault — a safe
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — to spend time

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