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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. charge — a price
  5. swing — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. can — a tin
  8. scale — in music
  9. snap — to click
  10. vault — a safe
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. charge — electricity
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pop — soda
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — to be able to
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stock — goods
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — in control
  22. swing — to play on
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stock — shares

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