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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rule — government
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hand — help
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chip — to eat
  24. deal — to handle

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