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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. race — a contest
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. race — humankind
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. capital — money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. vault — a safe
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. capital — a city
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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