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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: mouse · perch · vault · ball · fan · calf · wind · bowl

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — a dish

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