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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. content — happy
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a hat
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. degree — from a university
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — of ice
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a dance
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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