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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. press — to push
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cell — a phone
  20. club — for golf
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wind — to turn a key

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