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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — for catching
  8. club — a group
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — finally
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. net — in sport

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