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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — help
  18. game — a match
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — to eat
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — soda

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