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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 124 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — to shout
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — ground
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — a thing

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