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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 120 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chest — a box
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chest — of your body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — letters
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitch — a sports field

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