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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. land — a country
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ball — a dance
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ball — a great time

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