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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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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: perch · stand · club · vault · squash · tube · bear · toast

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — a safe
  13. squash — the sport
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — to bear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. squash — to crush

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