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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for golf
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — a stone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. present — there
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — a safe
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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