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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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Word bank
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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: mine · deal · hand · club · vault · spring · suit · board

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. spring — of water
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mine — for digging
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — in cards
  10. spring — the season
  11. hand — help
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — to get on
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. suit — to fit
  24. deal — to handle

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