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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. firm — steady
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — a phone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. degree — from a university
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — temperature
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — decided
  24. degree — an amount

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