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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — for paper
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — to breed
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. clip — to cut
  8. dip — to sink
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. clip — a video
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. suit — to fit
  23. vault — a safe
  24. object — to protest

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