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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. scale — size or range
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — an amount
  24. vault — a safe

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