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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bark — to shout
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. degree — temperature
  24. perch — for a bird

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