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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. net — for catching
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. net — after costs

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