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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · pit · row · vault · patient · bark

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cell — in biology
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cell — a phone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race

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