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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a music group

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