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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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