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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: board · vault · club · tube · perch · mine · mark · wake

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — a group
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. board — a committee
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tube — the underground

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