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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — all right
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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