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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. file — a tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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