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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. scale — size or range
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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