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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — in music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — a list
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. racket — a loud noise

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