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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. band — a music group
  8. cold — not warm
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. club — for golf
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. club — a group
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mark — a trace
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — a trainer

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