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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: club · chair · foot · temple · season · bat · suit · vault

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — a safe
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. foot — a measure
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — in sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — a group
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — a place of worship

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