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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rash — a series
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cold — an illness
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — bread
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. roll — a list
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cap — a lid

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