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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — a country
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. drill — army training
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — ground
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — soda
  17. object — an aim
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. band — a ring
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pop — music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ball — a great time
  24. vault — a safe

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