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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — the amount
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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