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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. game — a match
  10. cap — of ice
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. scale — size or range
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — in music

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