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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kick — in football
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — help
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. club — a group
  24. vault — a safe

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