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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. present — the time now
  7. rock — a stone
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — for dancing
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rock — music
  18. present — there
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. roll — a list
  23. vault — a safe
  24. hand — part of the body

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