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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bat — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — after costs
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — finally
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. last — to go on
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. net — for catching
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — for dancing
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. spring — the season
  24. last — final

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