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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. game — a match
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — of the year
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. season — to add flavour

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