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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cap — a lid
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitch — completely
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. roll — a cake
  14. tube — the underground
  15. degree — an amount
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. roll — a list
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tube — a container

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