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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. club — for golf
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. club — for dancing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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