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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cell — a phone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. club — for golf
  23. swing — music
  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