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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — a lid
  11. season — in sport
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. squash — the sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — to add flavour

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