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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — ground
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. land — a country
  12. swing — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. firm — a company
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — of ice
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spell — magic

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