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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — after costs
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — for catching
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spell — letters
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — an amount

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