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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cap — a lid
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a committee
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lie — to recline
  23. board — to get on
  24. cap — a hat

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