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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. club — for golf
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — a group
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pit — in a race
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — the amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. content — happy
  22. pit — a hole
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for dancing

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