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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. swing — in golf
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — to protest
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — to visit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ground — a position
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pop — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — a thing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — soda
  24. cold — the Cold War

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