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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. club — for dancing
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. club — a group
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. row — a line
  24. trunk — of a tree

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