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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. content — happy
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. vault — a safe
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — to keep track

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