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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — letters
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — for betting
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. net — for catching
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — magic
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — a safe
  17. net — after costs
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wake — a trail
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. can — to be able to

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