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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — army training
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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