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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — there
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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