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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mate — to breed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — in music

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