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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — a short time
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — a leader
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — letters

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