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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. race — humankind
  23. snap — to click
  24. saw — the tool

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