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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — a safe
  4. roll — a cake
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bark — to shout
  9. roll — a list
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — a position
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to bend
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ground — crushed

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