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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mate — a friend
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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