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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cue — a signal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — a group
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. date — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — to get on
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. vault — a safe
  24. patient — a sick person

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