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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. toast — bread
  3. object — to protest
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hand — help
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. object — a thing
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — an aim
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the fish

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