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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 · vault · cabinet · roll · march · bear · bore · branch

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — the month
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. roll — a list
  17. march — music
  18. club — a group
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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