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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fall — the season
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hand — help
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spell — letters

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