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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — in sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — after costs
  22. bat — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ground — a position

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