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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — steady
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — a company

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