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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — to tease
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — a thing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. court — of a king
  24. mine — belonging to me

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