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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: rule · perch · nail · vault · ball · chair · band · craft

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. rule — government
  10. band — a ring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ball — a dance
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — a law
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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