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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a line
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — music
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. track — a song
  24. pitch — a sports field

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