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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — all right
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — low music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — high quality
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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