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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cap — of ice
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — the fish
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — government

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