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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — in music
  5. row — a line
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. snap — to click
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fine — a penalty

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