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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a match
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a ring
  9. game — wild animals
  10. vault — a safe
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. game — a kind of play

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