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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. swing — to play on
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. object — to protest
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. band — a music group
  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