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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. file — a tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. club — for golf
  24. swing — music

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