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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. game — a match
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — a container
  17. hand — in cards
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — there
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. vault — a safe

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