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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — to bear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. club — for golf
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. court — of law
  7. club — a group
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — a safe
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. deal — to handle
  24. sharp — exactly

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