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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — to come from
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bass — the fish
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — a safe
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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