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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — a law
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a music group
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. shower — rain
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rest — a break
  23. vault — a safe
  24. racket — a loud noise

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