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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kid — child
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — for betting

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