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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: vault · field · calf · club · swing · fine · cue · row

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. row — a line
  4. field — for sport
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. club — for dancing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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