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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. staff — a stick
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. club — a group
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — a line
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — for golf
  24. bowl — to roll

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