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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — completely
  5. vault — a safe
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — of a river
  16. last — finally
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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