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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. track — a path
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kid — child
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — there
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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