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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. vault — a safe
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — to fit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — from a university
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cell — in a prison

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