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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — of ice
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — to protest
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. object — a thing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — final
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — to go on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. last — finally
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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