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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. ground — crushed
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — an aim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — to protest
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — a safe
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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