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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — a safe
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. saw — the tool

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