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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. vault — a safe
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cue — for pool
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a committee
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. game — a kind of play

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