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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. content — happy
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — of water
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a music group
  24. press — to push

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