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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — the earth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bark — to shout
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — happening now
  15. vault — a safe
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. can — to be able to

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