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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. firm — a company
  4. ground — the earth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. firm — steady
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a song
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — to be able to
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ground — a position
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. band — a ring
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fork — in a road
  24. track — a path

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