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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fall — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mouse — for a computer

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