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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — for light

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