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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lean — to bend
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a great time

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