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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. object — to protest
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kick — in football
  5. mark — a trace
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — a safe
  17. craft — a skill
  18. degree — an amount
  19. craft — boats
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. squash — the sport
  24. degree — from a university

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