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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ball — a dance
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — thin
  8. row — a line
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a great time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. current — happening now
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to bend
  24. current — electric

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