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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. cell — in biology
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — completely
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — finally
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — a phone

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