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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — to tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. row — a line
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — for catching
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. net — after costs
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — a dish

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