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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — a safe
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — army training
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — 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