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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bound — certain
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cold — an illness
  10. vault — a safe
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. club — for golf
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — for light

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