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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bat — the animal
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — a group
  14. object — a thing
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — an aim
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — a supporter

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