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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. root — the cause
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kid — child
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kid — to tease

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