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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. land — ground
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kid — to tease
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — to bear
  9. toast — bread
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. band — a ring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. kid — child
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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