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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a song
  13. land — a country
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. land — ground
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rule — a law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a friend

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