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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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