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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: stem · ball · toast · bark · club · game · vault · chip

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — bread

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