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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pit — a hole
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pit — in a race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bore — to tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. deal — a big deal

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