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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. craft — a skill
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. object — an aim
  11. land — ground
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — clothes
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. hand — in cards
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. bark — to shout
  23. land — a country
  24. scale — in music

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