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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. chair — a leader
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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