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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. race — the arms race
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. race — humankind
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — to visit
  19. net — after costs
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. race — a contest
  23. net — in sport
  24. pop — soda

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