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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — ground
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ground — crushed
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a line

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