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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 116 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: bear · vault · club · mouse · ruler · chair · perch · saw

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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