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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. can — to be able to
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — a safe
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tear — from crying
  19. game — wild animals
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — to rip
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — a tin

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