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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. craft — boats
  3. vault — a safe
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pitch — completely

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