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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 120 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — a short time
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — a container
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. board — to get on

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