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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bark — to shout
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mark — a grade
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — of a word
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — the cause
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — in music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a dance
  23. board — to get on
  24. root — of a plant

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