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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. game — wild animals
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — in biology
  6. root — the cause
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a match
  17. root — of a word
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — a place of worship

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