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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spring — the season
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. vault — a safe
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. temple — a place of worship

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