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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. race — a contest
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — the time now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. club — for dancing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — a group
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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