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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. vault — a safe
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — a series
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rash — hasty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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