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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stem — to come from
  3. vault — a safe
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chip — to eat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a dance
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — after costs
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — a group

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