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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. club — a group
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ground — the earth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. drill — army training
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bark — to shout

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