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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. vault — a safe
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — the underground
  12. band — a ring
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tube — a container
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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