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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: kick · club · vault · bear · row · racket · branch · rock

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rock — music
  4. row — a line
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — a group

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