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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. firm — steady
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cell — a phone
  10. firm — a company
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — there
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — decided
  23. cell — in biology
  24. roll — a list

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