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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — in golf
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — music
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. vault — a safe
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. track — a path
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — music

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