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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. face — part of the head
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — certain
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — size or range
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. face — to point toward
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. club — a group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — to crush
  24. club — for dancing

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