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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 116 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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. firm — decided
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — steady
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. net — after costs
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — there
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. present — a gift
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — a company

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