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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cue — a signal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — a stone

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