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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 116 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: chair · club · bay · leaves · vault · trunk · mark · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — a trace
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chair — a leader
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. club — for golf
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. march — the month
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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