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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · tube · mouse · sharp · bear · vault · land · club

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — a group
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. club — for golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. club — for dancing

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