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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. land — a country
  13. bat — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — a safe
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf

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