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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — soda
  4. swing — music
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — a safe
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a document
  10. shower — rain
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pop — to visit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pop — music
  24. kick — with a leg

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