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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. last — to go on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — a safe
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bound — certain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — for betting

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