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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pop — soda
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. dip — to sink
  14. game — a match
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — to keep track
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. track — a path
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. charge — electricity

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