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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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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: season · wind · game · fine · cap · dip · mouse · vault

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — a match
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. season — of the year
  19. game — wild animals
  20. season — in sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — high quality

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