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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — a leader
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — a container
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. vault — a safe
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chair — a professorship

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