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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. net — for catching
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — child
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. net — after costs
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — to get on

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