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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.

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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fine — all right
  7. season — in sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitcher — a jug

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