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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — of water
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. tube — a container
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — a safe
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. club — a group

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