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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wound — an injury
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — soda
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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