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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spring — the season
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — clever
  22. spring — of water
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — a match

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