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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: club · arm · tube · squash · bay · band · bark · vault

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. band — a ring
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — a container
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. band — a music group
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tube — the underground
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. band — a rubber band

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