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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for golf
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — a group
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — of law
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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