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

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — magic
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — letters

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