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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — decided
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — a subject
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. firm — steady
  18. bear — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — farmland
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fan — to cool the air

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