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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — for dancing
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. suit — to fit
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. suit — clothes
  19. club — for golf
  20. scale — size or range
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — a group
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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