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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. current — electric
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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