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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cap — of ice
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chest — a box
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — the month
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. march — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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