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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. vault — a safe
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — in sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — obliged
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ground — crushed

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