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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pit — in a race
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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