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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mark — a grade
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — for sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. racket — for tennis

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