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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — for sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — of a king
  7. charge — electricity
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. vault — a safe
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — to protest
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — after costs
  20. court — of law
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lash — to lash out

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