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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — for golf
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. scale — in music
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — a container
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — a group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — to move gently
  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