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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kid — child
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — for catching
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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