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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — a break
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stock — goods
  24. spring — a coil

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