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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — a group
  12. degree — temperature
  13. club — for golf
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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