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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. roll — a list
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — for golf
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. club — a group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pop — to visit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pop — soda

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