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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bat — the animal
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. mark — a trace
  20. vault — a safe
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. land — a country

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