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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. band — a ring
  3. charge — in control
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. band — a music group
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cap — a lid
  14. last — final
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — a safe
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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