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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitch — completely
  3. court — of law
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — all right
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — a safe
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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