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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. 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. club — for dancing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. clip — a video
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — clothes
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — to fit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. club — a group
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fine — all right
  22. clip — to cut
  23. can — to be able to
  24. 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