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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. land — ground
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. scale — in music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pound — to hit hard

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