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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fine — all right
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bear — to put up with

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