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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bass — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — a safe
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — a break
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. sharp — clever
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rest — what's left

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