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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a song
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ball — a great time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — a monarch

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