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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — a match
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — high quality
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. game — wild animals

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