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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — in control
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cold — an illness
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cue — a signal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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