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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a match
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — a song
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — to come from
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hide — animal skin

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