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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hand — help
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — certain
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. ground — a position
  8. object — an aim
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kid — child
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — obliged
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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