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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spring — a coil
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. deal — to handle
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. face — to confront
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spring — of water
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — size or range

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