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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. current — of water
  6. date — the fruit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. court — of law
  11. current — electric
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. court — of a king
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. plane — a tool

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