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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for dancing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — for golf
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — music
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. club — a group
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — to visit
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — in football
  24. fall — the season

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