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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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 dancing
  2. spring — of water
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — a container
  6. deal — to handle
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. spring — the season
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for golf
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a dance
  21. club — a group
  22. tube — the underground
  23. deal — a big deal
  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