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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: rock · season · plane · ball · spring · deal · ground · vault

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spring — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — a position
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. ball — a round shape

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