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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bark — to shout
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — an aircraft

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