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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. kick — in football
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. swing — to play on
  13. file — a tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. squash — to crush
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — a group
  18. swing — in golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a line of people
  23. squash — the sport
  24. club — for dancing

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