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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: key · bore · mine · club · arm · bay · bark · vault

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — the most important part

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