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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a line
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — completely
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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