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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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Word bank
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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: mark · vault · deal · last · straw · saw · game · rock

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — a stone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — a safe
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — music
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. last — to go on
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a match

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