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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — decided
  8. board — a committee
  9. firm — steady
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — letters
  18. shower — rain
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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