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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — to bear
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — after costs
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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