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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. degree — an amount
  12. scale — in music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. vault — a safe

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