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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kick — in football
  4. scale — size or range
  5. field — for sport
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — a subject
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pop — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — a safe
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pop — soda
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — a loud noise

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