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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bat — the animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — a price
  6. kid — child
  7. object — an aim
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. vault — a safe
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — to tease
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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