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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 120 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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a great time
  3. track — a path
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — soda
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a song
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — of a river

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