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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. race — the arms race
  11. ball — a dance
  12. race — humankind
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — a contest

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