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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. present — the time now
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — a company
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — steady
  9. mate — to breed
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. present — a gift
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. present — there
  17. firm — decided
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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