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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spring — the season
  3. cap — a lid
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — government
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cap — a hat
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — a coil
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rule — a law
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. vault — a safe
  24. club — for golf

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