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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — a practice
  5. game — a match
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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