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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — a price
  13. present — a gift
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — to play on
  16. race — humankind
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bark — to shout
  21. race — a contest
  22. mine — for digging
  23. swing — in golf
  24. charge — in control

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