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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. vault — a safe
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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