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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — to come down
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pop — to visit
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. swing — to play on
  16. court — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pop — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — a practice

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