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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of a king
  5. swing — in golf
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to click
  9. swing — to play on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. swing — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a ring
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — for sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a rubber band

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