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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — for catching
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. net — in sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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