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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. staff — employees
  7. cold — an illness
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cold — not warm
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. scale — in music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rock — a stone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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