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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: last · club · vault · net · firm · wave · mug · rule

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rule — a law
  3. club — a group
  4. mug — to rob
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — steady
  8. club — for dancing
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — in sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. last — final
  21. net — after costs
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rule — government

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