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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: cap · march · vault · rock · game · fine · mouse · firm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — all right
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — a match
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. firm — a company
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rock — a stone
  21. vault — a safe
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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