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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. firm — steady
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — decided
  24. rush — to hurry

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