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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. swing — music
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — a company
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. club — for dancing
  8. scale — in music
  9. degree — an amount
  10. firm — decided
  11. club — for golf
  12. firm — steady
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — music
  15. degree — temperature
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — in golf
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — to play on

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