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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. track — a song
  8. club — for golf
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — the season
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — a safe
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a ring

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