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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rash — a series
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a ring
  18. pop — soda
  19. land — to come down
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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