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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · fan · vault · pop · board · perch · squash · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pop — to visit
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a committee
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — the fish

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