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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — a safe
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — the season
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a trace
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spring — of water
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spring — a coil

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