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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — of water
  3. band — a music group
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a committee
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — a lid
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spring — the season

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