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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — completely
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — a partner
  12. scale — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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