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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. dip — to sink
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spring — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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