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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. track — to keep track
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — a safe
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. track — a path
  14. club — for golf
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. patient — a sick person

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