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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — a safe
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — in a race
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spring — the season

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