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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: lash · game · club · bark · vault · stock · snap · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — in sport
  5. game — a match
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stock — goods
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — shares
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. net — for catching
  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