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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. press — to push
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — in sport
  11. pound — a weight
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. court — of law
  15. net — for catching
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — government
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rule — a law
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pound — for dogs

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