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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. degree — temperature
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. roll — a list
  8. board — to get on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — a safe

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