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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pop — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — soda
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — to visit
  14. vault — a safe
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. craft — boats
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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