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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. scale — in music
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a song
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rest — what's left
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — the time now
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. face — to confront
  22. track — a path
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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