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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bore — to tire
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bore — to drill
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — boats
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. bore — gave birth
  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