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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a friend
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. firm — decided
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — completely
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. file — a document
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a line of people
  21. foot — a measure
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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