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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. last — finally
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — final
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — child
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. last — to go on
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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