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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — a contest
  5. date — the fruit
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. face — to confront
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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