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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. squash — the sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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