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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. firm — a company
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — music
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bark — to shout
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — decided

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