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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — a coil
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — a gift
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — boats
  15. present — the time now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — the season
  18. court — of a king
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spring — of water
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — for sport

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