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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. ground — crushed
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — to grow
  23. game — a match
  24. pop — to visit

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