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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: swing · staff · vault · stick · bat · mate · club · pop

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for golf
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pop — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — to breed
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. club — a group
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. swing — to play on
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. pop — soda
  24. bat — the animal

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