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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a lid
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for golf
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — a safe
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. club — a group
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — before a funeral

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