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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. club — for golf
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pop — music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. pop — to visit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. game — wild animals
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — in music

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