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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. march — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stock — goods
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. march — the month
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — shares
  21. kid — child
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mate — to breed

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