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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. perch — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. saw — the tool
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — completely

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