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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: mine · fan · arm · pound · fall · pitch · club · vault

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for golf
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mine — for digging
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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