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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — a group
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for dancing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — happy
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — of ice
  22. content — the amount
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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