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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — from a university
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rock — music
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. degree — an amount

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