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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — a safe
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — completely
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bat — in an idiom

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