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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fine — high quality
  6. scale — in music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — a stone
  11. toast — bread
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — all right
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — a container
  24. toast — the most admired

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