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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: vault · foot · bark · perch · current · chip · date · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — of water
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. club — for dancing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. perch — the fish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chip — for betting
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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