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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. court — of a king
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pop — soda
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. court — for sport
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. vault — a safe
  13. dip — to sink
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — a song
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of law
  23. cell — a phone
  24. dip — to dunk

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