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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — a group
  6. rash — hasty
  7. swing — in golf
  8. field — for sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. last — final
  11. object — a thing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. object — an aim
  14. band — a music group
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. last — finally
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rash — a series
  21. object — to protest
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — to play on
  24. club — for golf

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