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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — of a word
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. game — a match
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. degree — from a university
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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