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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — the tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — a group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. file — a tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — to visit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pop — soda
  23. drill — army training
  24. bass — low music

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