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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — a position
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. leaves — to go away

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