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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — help
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — a leader
  17. foot — a measure
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — a safe

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