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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · rule · vault · fall · plane · fine · spring · pop

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rule — government
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — high quality
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spring — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a great time

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