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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: bowl · perch · band · trunk · game · straw · vault · bay

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — a safe
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. band — a music group
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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