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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — completely
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rock — a stone
  11. craft — boats
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — finally
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — in music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rock — music

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