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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. vault — a safe
  11. track — a path
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cap — a lid
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. staff — a stick
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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