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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — for catching
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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