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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — for golf
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mark — a grade
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — the fish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — in sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. temple — side of the head

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