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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — after costs
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — of water
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. net — for catching
  18. spring — a coil
  19. swing — music
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wave — of the sea

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