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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. march — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — decided
  11. can — to be able to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — child
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — steady
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chair — to sit 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