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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — for dancing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spring — the season
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — there
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. present — a gift
  19. vault — a safe
  20. club — a group
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spring — a coil
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lie — an untruth

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