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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. key — in music
  11. court — of law
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — to protest
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. object — an aim
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — for sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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