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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a music group
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. vault — a safe
  15. band — a ring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. net — for catching

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