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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. present — a gift
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bore — to drill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cap — a hat
  23. court — for sport
  24. bore — to tire

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