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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — to get on
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rash — hasty
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — a committee
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. shower — rain

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