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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. track — a song
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitch — completely
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mate — a friend

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