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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. present — the time now
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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