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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a round shape

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