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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — soda
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — to come down
  23. pop — music
  24. ground — a position

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