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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — part of the head
  4. craft — boats
  5. track — a path
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a skill
  8. net — in sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. face — to point toward
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — wild animals
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — after costs
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — to dunk

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