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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to click
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — after costs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — of ice
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — for catching
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ground — crushed

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