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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: bass · rule · club · swing · perch · vault · cabinet · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rule — government
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — low music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — for golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — a group
  24. swing — in golf

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