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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: club · spell · chip · perch · vault · march · bowl · pound

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chip — for betting
  6. march — the month
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — a group
  13. march — music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — to eat
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — for golf
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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