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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: vault · club · tear · perch · squash · racket · firm · bay

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — a group
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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