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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. track — a path
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — a thing

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