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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — soda
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — to keep track
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — a container
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mine — for digging
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bass — the fish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — low music
  24. pop — music

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