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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — completely
  4. vault — a safe
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — child
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. toast — bread
  22. season — in sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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