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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — to sink
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. game — a match
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — to dunk

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