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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 116 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: game · cue · vault · content · cap · bear · plane · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — ground
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. land — to come down
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — a tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. content — happy
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. content — the amount

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