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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. field — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. field — farmland
  23. degree — temperature
  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