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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — of a bank

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