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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. roll — a list
  5. cap — of ice
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. band — a music group
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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