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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — in music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — for betting
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — to come down
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — to eat
  22. land — a country
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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