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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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. cap — a lid
  4. club — for golf
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bass — the fish
  8. object — to protest
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bass — low music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. club — a group
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — a match
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. game — wild animals

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