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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — a measure
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of a king
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. swing — in golf
  13. vault — a safe
  14. scale — in music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — of law
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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