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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for golf
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — a group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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