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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — music
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a grade

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