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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rock — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — the fish
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ground — the earth

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