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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. craft — boats
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — to eat
  6. spring — a coil
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. object — an aim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spring — of water
  21. craft — a skill
  22. object — to protest
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. racket — for tennis

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