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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. swing — in golf
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. vault — a safe
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — the animal

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