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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · chair · cabinet · cap · pass · game · vault · swing

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pop — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — to visit
  24. swing — 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