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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — magic
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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