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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — government
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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