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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. vault — a safe
  18. present — there
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cue — a signal
  21. present — the time now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — to move gently

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