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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. suit — to fit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — clothes
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — in sport
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bark — of a tree

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