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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pop — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — in sport
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — of a river

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