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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rush — hurry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pop — soda
  20. scale — in music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pop — music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. clip — a video

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