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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: hand · can · bore · vault · club · suit · saw · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — in cards
  7. vault — a safe
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. club — a group
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — to drill

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