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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: mine · rest · vault · deal · club · stem · suit · bear

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — for digging
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bear — to put up with

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