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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — employees
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. staff — a stick
  7. vault — a safe
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for golf
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — a tool
  23. field — for sport
  24. club — a group

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