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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. clip — for paper
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. last — finally
  5. clip — a video
  6. last — to go on
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pop — soda
  13. last — final
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. clip — to cut
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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