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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a committee
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — of ice
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — a hat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — to get on
  22. chest — a box
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. perch — the fish

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