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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. track — a path
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — to eat
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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