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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. vault — a safe
  3. club — a group
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. present — the time now
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — to visit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pop — music

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