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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — a short time
  3. vault — a safe
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. game — a match
  7. cap — of ice
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. root — of a word
  16. cue — for pool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cue — a hint
  19. root — of a plant
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a friend
  22. roll — a list
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cap — a hat

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