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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: row · swing · wax · arm · club · rock · court · vault

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a line
  6. swing — to play on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rock — a stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — a safe
  14. club — for golf
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. swing — in golf
  21. court — of law
  22. swing — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. arm — part of the body

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