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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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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: game · can · vault · staff · roll · date · perch · fan

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — to be able to
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. vault — a safe
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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