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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. last — final
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — in cards
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pound — a weight
  23. club — a group
  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