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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rock — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — a group

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