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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: vault · club · bat · toast · game · spell · bank · bowl

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. spell — magic
  14. bank — for money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. toast — bread
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — the animal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. game — a match
  22. vault — a safe
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — a group

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