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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — a safe
  5. club — for dancing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — letters
  18. drill — a practice

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