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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. toast — bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — a permit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — boats
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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