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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — to protest
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rest — a break
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — a country
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — to come down
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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