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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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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. branch — a division
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. branch — of a tree

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