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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pop — to visit
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — soda
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — a practice
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. track — to keep track
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — a path
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — of water
  22. drill — the tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. drill — army training

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