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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — a hat
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. march — the month

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