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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — the month
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. content — happy
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — the amount
  11. cap — a lid
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — music
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a hat
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — a loud noise

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