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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spell — a short time
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rule — a law
  12. ground — a position
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rule — government
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — magic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ground — crushed
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ground — the earth
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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