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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — the earth
  4. club — a group
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — of a river
  24. vault — a safe

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