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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to click
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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