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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 124 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. spring — a coil
  3. foot — a measure
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. degree — temperature
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spring — the season
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mate — a partner

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