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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a music group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — a measure
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pitcher — a jug

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