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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rock — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — in a road
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. swing — in golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — a stone

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