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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. club — for golf
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kid — to tease
  22. club — a group
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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