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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — finally
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. last — final

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