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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a hat
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. band — a ring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. band — a music group
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cap — a lid
  24. band — a rubber band

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