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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — a break
  10. march — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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