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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. last — finally
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — a group
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for golf
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. last — final
  16. capital — money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — a safe
  24. last — to go on

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