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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: field · plane · club · lash · vault · bark · perch · season

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. field — farmland
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — a group
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — of the year
  9. vault — a safe
  10. field — a subject
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — for sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for dancing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for golf
  24. lash — an eyelash

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