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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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Word bank
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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — to confront
  12. bass — low music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pit — a hole
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — a safe
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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