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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. court — for sport
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of a king
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — in a tire

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