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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fall — the season
  24. vault — a safe

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