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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bass — low music
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rule — government
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — a tight spot

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