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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. last — final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pop — music
  19. last — finally
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — a hole
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — hurry

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