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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — soda
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. face — to confront
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. vault — a safe
  16. shower — to wash
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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