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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — army training
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spring — of water
  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