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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. roll — a list
  24. vault — a safe

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