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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — to wash
  11. band — a music group
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. row — a line
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a ring
  23. court — of a king
  24. shower — rain

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