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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. row — a line
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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