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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. last — final
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chip — for betting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — finally
  15. club — for golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — to eat
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. staff — employees

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