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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: object · wax · ground · kick · fine · rule · vault · club

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ground — a position
  3. kick — in football
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. object — to protest
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ground — the earth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — crushed
  11. object — an aim
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. club — a group
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. object — a thing
  19. rule — government
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kick — with a leg

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