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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. club — for dancing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stock — goods
  9. ball — a dance
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — a group
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stand — for spectators

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