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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wake — a trail
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — soda
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pop — to visit

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