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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. present — there
  5. mark — a grade
  6. land — to come down
  7. present — a gift
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — a subject
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — farmland
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cue — a signal
  21. roll — a list
  22. scale — size or range
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — for pool

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