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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. swing — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. object — a thing
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — to cool the air

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