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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · bark · vault · chair · saw · march · club · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — a group
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — a leader
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. march — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pop — soda
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pop — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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