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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — in sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — a container
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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