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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — in music
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chair — a leader
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. vault — a safe
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. scale — size or range

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