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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — to bear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — a division
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — the fish
  19. court — for sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. court — of a king
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of a car

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