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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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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — happy
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spell — magic
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — a short time
  11. content — the amount
  12. suit — clothes
  13. staff — employees
  14. object — a thing
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — soda
  22. spring — of water
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. object — an aim

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