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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. object — to protest
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. clip — for paper
  7. vault — a safe
  8. object — an aim
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — to play on

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