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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. land — to come down
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kick — in football
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. craft — boats
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fine — high quality
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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