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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — for catching
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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