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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. board — to get on
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pop — soda
  14. clip — a video
  15. club — for dancing
  16. firm — a company
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pop — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — a committee
  24. club — for golf

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