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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. club — a group
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. club — for golf
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. vault — a safe
  19. club — for dancing
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pound — for dogs

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