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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lean — to bend
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. roll — a list
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. club — for dancing

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