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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. vault — a safe
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rule — a law
  8. club — a group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — an amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. scale — size or range

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