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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · chair · club · vault · saw · cell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. club — for golf
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. club — a group
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — a phone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — to sit on

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