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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — a position
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rock — a stone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. drill — army training
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — a practice
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. drill — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — crushed

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