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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rest — what's left
  15. can — to be able to
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bass — low music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. can — a tin

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