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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — to be able to
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — to shout
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — boats
  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