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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. game — a match
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pit — in a race
  24. game — a kind of play

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