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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a ring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — soda
  19. land — to come down
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. land — a country
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. band — a music group

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