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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cold — an illness
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for golf
  10. land — to come down
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stock — shares
  16. land — a country
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — a break

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