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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. land — to come down
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. land — a country
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — ground
  18. club — a group
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — for golf
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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