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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — to handle
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — to come down
  15. squash — the sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. club — a group
  20. scale — in music
  21. land — a country
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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