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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cue — a signal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — for pool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bowl — to roll

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