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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — bread
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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