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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rule — government
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. pop — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. club — a group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — of a river
  23. clip — a video
  24. club — for golf

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