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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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Word bank
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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: file · bore · pop · vault · fall · ground · club · arm

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — crushed
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. file — a document
  12. ground — a position
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — a safe
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fall — the season

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