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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — to be able to
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — to go on
  19. degree — an amount
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tube — a container

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