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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — for catching
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spring — of water
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spring — the season
  24. hand — help

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