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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — a group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spring — the season
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — of water
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — goods
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chair — a leader
  20. vault — a safe
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — in music

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