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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — there
  3. court — of law
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. court — for sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  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