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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kick — in football
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cap — a hat
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — a safe

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