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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. drill — army training
  16. pound — a weight
  17. drill — a practice
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. vault — a safe
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitch — completely

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