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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — steady
  5. object — to protest
  6. club — for golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cold — not warm
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. squash — to crush
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. vault — a safe
  17. club — a group
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. file — a document
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — a company
  24. object — a thing

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