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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · firm · vault · lean · pass · game · clip · bat

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pass — a permit
  4. firm — decided
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. clip — for paper
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — a video
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pass — to succeed

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