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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: bat · vault · roll · trunk · saw · club · fan · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — a cake
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — clothes
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. roll — a list
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bat — 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