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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. club — a group
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — a tin
  7. ground — crushed
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for golf
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. scale — size or range
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — in music
  24. bat — the animal

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