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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pop — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rock — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cap — a hat

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