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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lean — thin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pop — soda
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lean — to bend
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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