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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. craft — a skill
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — a safe

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