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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — the season
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a trace
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. degree — temperature
  24. racket — for tennis

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