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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a line
  9. spring — the season
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spring — of water
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — a coil
  20. row — to paddle
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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