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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. drill — a practice
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. jam — in traffic

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