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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. land — to come down
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. row — to paddle
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — a song
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — a line

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