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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 124 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — the month
  5. land — a country
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — to come down
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. land — ground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. shower — rain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. march — the month
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. foot — the bottom

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