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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the fish
  8. track — a path
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — the underground
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — low music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — in a tire

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