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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — a match
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. land — ground
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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