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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — in golf
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — low music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — there
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. swing — to play on

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