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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 120 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: fan · club · row · vault · bowl · swing · pit · craft

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a hole
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — in a race

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