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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — for golf
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for dancing
  7. charge — electricity
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — a safe
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — in control
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. club — a group
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. content — the amount
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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