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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — hurry
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. roll — a cake
  10. vault — a safe
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — a list
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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