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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — of water
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — the season
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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