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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — an aim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. field — for sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — a subject
  19. board — a committee
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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