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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: file · bark · club · vault · key · spell · ruler · craft

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — a short time
  9. file — a tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — for a lock
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. club — a group
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. key — in music
  20. file — a document
  21. spell — letters
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. key — the most important part
  24. craft — a skill

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