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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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