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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: band · cue · club · chest · arm · date · vault · bear

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cue — a signal
  6. band — a ring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — a box
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — a safe

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