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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. field — farmland
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — a gift
  10. field — for sport
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — a subject
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. present — the time now
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — there

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